{"id":125386,"date":"2026-05-06T20:22:28","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T15:22:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/?p=125386"},"modified":"2026-05-06T20:22:29","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T15:22:29","slug":"china-says-will-play-greater-role-in-ending-middle-east-conflict","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/125386\/","title":{"rendered":"China says will play ‘greater role’ in ending Middle East conflict"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

(National Times)- China\u2019s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing would play a \u201cgreater role\u201d in ending hostilities in the Middle East during talks with his Iranian counterpart on Wednesday, a week before US President Donald Trump is\u00a0due to meet Xi Jinping<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China is a key customer for Iranian oil, defying sanctions imposed by the United States, and is directly affected by the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, bordered by Iran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beijing has quietly engaged in efforts to resolve the weekslong crisis and its diplomacy is credited with playing an important role in the fragile ceasefire agreed between Washington and Tehran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China \u201cwill work harder to ease tensions and end the fighting, continue to support the launch of peace talks, and play a greater role in restoring peace and tranquillity to the Middle East\u201d, Wang told Iran\u2019s Abbas Araghchi in Beijing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChina considers that a complete cessation of fighting must be achieved without delay, that it is even more unacceptable to restart hostilities, and that continuing to negotiate remains essential,\u201d Wang said, according to a statement from his ministry after the talks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Manufacturing giant China has been comparatively sheltered from fuel shortages thanks to oil reserves and renewable energy, but costs of oil-derived materials like plastic and fabric have risen significantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More than half of the crude imported by sea to China comes from the Middle East and mainly transits through the Hormuz Strait, according to maritime analytics firm Kpler.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Analysts have warned that the war\u2019s impact on China will be felt for months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During Wednesday\u2019s talks, Wang said China hopes \u201cthe parties concerned will respond as quickly as possible to the urgent call of the international community\u201d for a resumption of normal and safe maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Trump trip looms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Wang-Araghchi talks came as Trump said the US would pause escorting commercial ships<\/a> through the Hormuz Strait \u2014 which drew Iranian attacks \u2014 barely a day after it began doing so<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump cited a desire<\/a> to reach a peace deal with Iran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Washington demands tight controls on Tehran\u2019s nuclear programme, which Iran has refused to agree to and has led to talks crumbling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOn the nuclear issue, China welcomes Iran\u2019s commitment not to develop nuclear weapons, while considering that Iran has the legitimate right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy,\u201d Wang said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The US leader is expected to meet Chinese President Xi in Beijing on a visit the White House said will take place May 14-15.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beijing has not confirmed those dates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A foreign ministry spokesman again refused to share details when asked about Trump\u2019s visit at a regular news conference on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump would join rulers from the Gulf, Europe and Southeast Asia that have recently landed face time with Xi, who has sought to position China as a stable partner in the face of the US-and Israeli-led conflict<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump\u2019s visit would also come more than a year after his sweeping global tariffs<\/a> wreaked havoc on the supply chain, causing chaos in China\u2019s manufacturing sector.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(National Times)- China\u2019s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing would play a \u201cgreater role\u201d in ending hostilities in the Middle East during talks with his Iranian counterpart on Wednesday, a week before US President Donald Trump is\u00a0due to meet Xi Jinping. China is a key customer for Iranian oil, defying sanctions imposed by the United […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":125387,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-125386","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest_news","entry"],"yoast_head":"\nChina says will play 'greater role' in ending Middle East conflict - Nation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/125386\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"China says will play 'greater role' in ending Middle East conflict - Nation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"(National Times)- China\u2019s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing would play a \u201cgreater role\u201d in ending hostilities in the Middle East during talks with his Iranian counterpart on Wednesday, a week before US President Donald Trump is\u00a0due to meet Xi Jinping. 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